Railway-switch



UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLOMON THOMAS THORNTON, OF STARNES, MISSISSIPPI.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,624, dated November 16, 1897.

7 Application fil'edAugust 7,1897. Serial No. 647,457. (No model.)

. railway-switches and mechanism for manipulating the same, and its object is to provide simple and effective mechanism for simultaneously operating the switch-point and switch-rails and locking mechanism for posi tively holding the operative parts inadjusted position; and to this end the invention cons'ists in the novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter more fully described, and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of a railway-switch embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view with the inner track-rail of the main line,

and 6 a diagonally-arranged fixed rail-section in line with the inner track-rails of the auxiliary line, as shown.

7 represents a bearing-plate set into recesses in the ties 8 and spiked thereto at the point of j unction'of said rails. This plate is provided with' the longitudinally-extending integral flanges 9 10, extending from the abutting point 11 of the rails l 3 to and alongside of the fixed rail-sections 5 6, and serving as stops to limit the movement of the switch-point 12 when the latter is moved to I a position in line with said sections. Between these flanges the bearing-plate is provided with a transverse slot 13. The said switch-point 12 is pivoted to the rails 1 3 at the point 11, and its free end is engaged by a clamp 14, projecting through the slot 13 and connected with a shifting: switch bar or plate 15, extending transversely of the track and movable between the ties and below the track-rails.

The switch-rails 16 17 are pivoted to the adjoining ends of the fixed rail-sections 5 6 and have their free ends secured to a transverse shifting bar or plate 18, also movable between the adjoining ties beneath the track-rails, and are adapted to move in unison, so that when the bar 18 is shifted one way the rail 17 will be in line with the rail 1 and open the main line, and when the bar is shifted the opposite way the rail 16 will abut against the rail 2 and open the auxiliary line and close the main.

line.

19 20 represent bearing plates arranged alongside the traolneach plate having a domehousing 19 20. Located within each housing is a bell-crank lever 21 22, each comprising a vertical post 23, having bearing insaid plate and housing and formed with right-angularly-projecting radial arms 24 25, one arranged a short distance above the other, as shown. The arm 24 of the lever 21 is pivoted directly to the laterally-projecting end of the bar 15, and the corresponding arm of the lever" 22 is jointed to a link 26, which in turn is jointed to the laterally-projecting end of the bar 18, while the arms 25 of said levers are pivotally united by a connecting-rod 27. This connecting rod extends through a domeshaped stand or housing 28, located intermediate of said bell-crank levers, and this housing is provided in its top with a longitudinal slot 29. A switch-lever 30 operates in said slot and is pivoted adjacent its lower end to a cross-shaft 31 and at its lower end to the connecting-rod 27,and by means of this lever the switch-point and switch-rails may be shifted simultaneously to open or close the main line or auxiliaryline,as will be readily understood.

In order to hold the switch-lever stationary and lock it when the rails are shifted, I provide the top of the housing 28 with two transverse ribs 32 32, arranged at opposite ends of the slot 29, each rib having an inner inclined face 32 and a vertical locking-shoul der 32.

The switch-lever 30 is provided with two oppositely-projecting locking-plates 33 33,

having their inner ends pivoted thereto and bent at the center to form spring locking shoulders 33 and having their outer ends disposed on a horizontal plane below said inner ends and provided adjacent their extremities with openings 34. \Vhen the lever 30 is operated one way or the other, the outer end of the locking-plate extending in the direction the lever is moved is adapted to ride the inclined face of the contiguous rib, and then snap into engagement with the locking-shoulder thereof.

Figs. 2 and -1 show the lever shifted to close the main line and open the auxiliary and the locking-plate 33 engaged with the shoulder of the rib 32 to hold the lever in such position. Vhen the locking-plateis so engaged, the opening 31L therein is in alinement with an opening 35 in the ends of the top plate of the housing 28, and the hasp of a padlock 36 maybe passed through said openings to hold the plate 33 immovable and prevent the lever from being shifted accidentally or by an unauthorized person.

The switch-point 12 and switch-rails 16 17 are pivoted to the fixed rails in anovel manner, as shown in Fig. 3.

To the web 36 of the fixed rail, at one side, I attach a plate 37 by bolts 38, and this plate is formed at its outer end with a semicylindrical cup-socket 39, having a transverse slot 40 in its front edge, said socket being disposed below the rail-web, with its front end in'line with the end of the fixed rail, as shown. On the web of the switch-point and switchrails and secured thereto by bolts 41 is a plate 42, formed at its outer end with a shank 43, carrying a spherical head 44, inclosed within the socket 39. 'lVhen the rail is moved, the said head 14 turns freely in said socket and is prevented from riding upward by the end of the fixed rail above it, and the shank 43 moves in the slot -10.

Myinvention provides a simple and effective switch-controlling mechanism which is not only simple in construction and effective in operation, but is applicable to present switch systems without altering the construction of the same.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new and useful, and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States, is

1. In railway-switches, the combination of the fixed main-line rails, the fixed auxiliaryline rails, the two fixed switch-rails, a switchpoint located at the point of intersection of the main and auxiliary line rails and adapted to be broughtin line with either of saidfixed switch-rails, the movable switch-rails, mechanism for shifting said switch-point and movable switch-rails simultaneously, and pivot connections between the fixed rails, switchpoint and switch-rails, comprising a plate 37 bolted to the fixed rail and provided at its outer end with a semicylindrical cup-socket 39 having a transverse slot 40, and a plate 42 bolted to the movable rail and provided at its outer end witha shank 43 projecting through said slot and carrying a spherical head 44 inclosed within said socket, substantially as described.

2. In railway-switches, the combination of thefixed main-line rails, the fixed auxiliaryline rails, the two fixed switch-rails, a switchpoint located at the point of intersection of the main and auxiliary line rails and adapted to be brought in line with either of said fixed switch-rails, the movable switch-rails, shifting-bars connecting with the switch-point and movable switch-rails, a pair of bell-crank leverseach having an arm connected with one of said levers, a stand-or housing located between said bell-crank levers and provided in its top with a longitudinal slot and at each end thereof with a transverse locking-rib, a rod extending through said housing-and connecting the other arms of the bell-cranklevers, a pivoted switch-lever connected with said rod and operating in said slot, and locking-plates attached to said lever and adapted to engage said locking-ribs, substantially as described.

3. In railway-switches, the combination of the main-line rails 1 2, the auxiliary-line rails 3 4, the said rails l 3 converging to a point, the fixed rail-section 5 in line with the rail 1 and the diagonally-arranged fixed rail-section 6 in line with the rail 3, a bearing-plate 7 interposed at the point between the said rails 13 and 5 6 and provided at each side with an integral longitudinal guide-flange and between the same with a transverse slot, a switch-point 12 pivoted to said rails l 3 and adapted to be brought in line with the rails 5.6, a shifting bar or plate 15 provided with a clamp projecting through said slot and engaging the said switch-point, the switch-rails 16 17 pivoted to the rail-sections 5 (3, pivot connections between the fixed rails, switchpoint and switch-rails, comprising a plate 37 bolted tothe fixed rail and provided at its outer end with a semicylindrical cup-socket 39 having a transverse slot 40, and a plate 42 bolted to the movable rail and provided at its outer end with a shank 43 projecting through said slot and carrying a spherical head 44; inclosed within said socket, a shifting bar or plate 18 connected with said switch-rails, a pair of bell-crank levers each having an arm connected with the laterally-projecting ends of said switch-bars 15 18, a stand or housing located between said bell-crank levers and provided in its top with a longitudinal slot and at each end thereof a transverse looking- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SOLOMON THOMAS THORNTON.

Witnesses:

J. R. BOYLE, J. A. 'WILLIAMS. 

